SCCS Home Bulletin
November 3, 2021
FROM DR. B.
I hope you’ve had a great week, Trailblazers!
We continue with our series the ABCs of SCCS. Last week, I shared more about F = faculty and staff. This week, I’d like to write about G = growth opportunities and the growing disciple profile.
Growth is a big deal at SCCS. We all want to grow in several ways: socially, emotionally, academically, and spiritually. We are a school focused on growth, and we want to provide opportunities for growth to occur for both our students and our faculty, staff, and trustees.
I’m excited to share that we will venturing soon on a journey designing a growing disciple profile. As part of our CSI accreditation process last spring, we have written an improvement goal for ourselves that we want to be very clear about what our target is as a school. What specifically are we aiming toward? And, how do we know we are hitting the mark? The growing disciple profile will outline the specific characteristics and skills we hope our students have and are growing in by the time they graduate 8th grade. The name “growing disciple profile” is intentional, as we know we all are on the path of growth; we never “arrive”. We want to design a profile that all of us – faculty, staff, trustees, parents, and students – can work toward. And then we need to put in place markers that tell us whether we are making progress. Stay tuned for more information on this growing disciple profile and how parents will be involved!
We also encourage growth in our faculty, staff, and board. Specifically:
- Every Wednesday, we release school early for faculty professional development. Main topics this year are curriculum mapping, implementing the new Bible curriculum, inclusive education training, and staying true to our Reformed Christian perspective.
- All faculty and staff have the opportunity to attend classes and workshops in order to continue growing in their role.
- Several of our faculty have their master’s degree, with several currently in a master’s degree program. We want our teachers to be highly skilled and supported in their work. Encouraging continued education is one way we do that.
- Our trustees participates in board education at each board meeting. They also have been trained recently in strategic planning, strategic finances, and board leadership.
- We are currently working with CACE out of Dordt University to put together a strategic roadmap, which will encourage continued growth at SCCS.
- Mrs. Mouw and I also participate in administrator workshops, meetings, and classes.
Students, faculty, staff, and trustees: all growing disciples working toward meeting the mission of Sioux Center Christian School.
It’s an exciting time to be at SCCS! Thank you for your support and partnership.
Parent Visit Days
Parent Visit Days at SCCS: We take seriously our calling to partner with parents in the education of their children. We value this partnership! We want to invite you into the school so you can experience what’s happening in the classroom with your students. To do that, every grade level will be hosting a parent visit day. You are invited to join us for some time in the classroom and a free lunch with your child. We are looking forward to hosting TK & K parents tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 4) from 10:00-11:30.
More information for the following visit days will be sent out later:
- Dec. 2 - 1st grade (10:15-11:15- classrooms/11:15-11:45- lunch)
- Dec. 9 - 2nd grade (10:30-11:30- classrooms/11:30-12:00- lunch)
- Jan. 13 - 3rd grade (10:30-11:30- classrooms/11:30-12:00-lunch)
- Jan. 20 - 4th grade (10:45-11:45- classrooms/11:45-12:15-lunch)
- Feb. 3 - 5th grade (11:00-12:00- classrooms/12:00-12:30- lunch)
- Feb. 10 - 6th grade (11:00-12:00- classrooms/12:00-12:30- lunch)
- March 10- 7th & 8th grade (11:15-12:15- classrooms/12:15-12:45- lunch)
WINTER BUS ROUTE INFORMATION
Questions regarding this service may be directed to the Transportation Director, at 722-2481
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
- Please check the online calendar for upcoming events (http://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/calendar.cfm)
- Storyline chapel today at 1:35. First graders will be sharing their storyline....Explorers Discovering God's World Together. https://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/students/chapel.cfm
- On Friday, November 12, the public school buses will not be running their routes because they do not have school. Only the SCCS buses (2014 and 2020) will be running their routes. All other parents will have to provide transportation to and from school on that day.
- There will be no school on November 24-26 for Thanksgiving Break.
- The Fall Instrumental (6-8 band/4-8 orchestra) and Choral Concert (5-8) will be on November 29 at Dordt University in the BJ Haan Auditorium.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN THE ART ROOM
Volunteers needed in the Art Room: We are entering into a very busy season in the art room! We use a lot of materials and tools which require a lot of clean up. In order to maximize the amount of time that students are engaged in creating, I am asking for some volunteers to help with tool and desk clean-up from 11:30-12:15 everyday. To sign up click here.
Contact Mrs. De Jong (ldejong@siouxcenterchristian.com) if you have questions.
POSITION OPENINGS
K-4th Grade Art Teacher: Sioux Center Christian School invites you to consider the opportunity to work with a dedicated faculty and staff, passionate parents, and fantastic students through the position of K-4th grade art teacher, with a start date of August 1, 2022. The ideal candidate loves God, loves kids, and loves learning.
You will partner with the current 5th-8th grade art teacher and be responsible for fulfilling the following:
- Instill a love of God’s creation, design, and beauty in grades K-4 students
- Teach art classes for K-4th graders (3 sections of each grade level for a total of 15 sections), with each section meeting once weekly
- Work with school leaders to develop an art curriculum that meets state and national standards
- Partner with classroom teachers in the development of art curriculum
- Provide opportunities for students to develop skills in art and to display their art for real audiences
- Provide opportunities for students to do real work for real people with real needs using the Teaching for Transformation framework
The art position is considered 0.4 FTE and can be combined with other potential positions at SCCS to make a full-time position.
You will be joining a team filled with people who love to collaborate, love to fulfill the school’s mission statement, love to work with students, and love to keep growing. Applicants should be endorsed to teach elementary art in Iowa and should be familiar with the Teaching for Transformation and Response to Intervention frameworks or the willingness to learn. Interested applicants should complete the faculty application package, located at https://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/about/employment.cfm, and send to Josh Bowar, head of school, at jbowar@siouxcenterchristian.com with all required materials. A review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Food Service Specialist: Sioux Center Christian School is advertising for the position of food service specialist to provide leadership for the school lunch program. This person will arrange for purchasing of all supplies, maintain inventory, provide production sheets for meals, plan monthly menus, order food, organize the daily work schedule of school lunch staff, keep accurate records and submit government reports, supervise school lunch staff, and provide a positive, encouraging atmosphere in the kitchen through their leadership. This leadership position will oversee the school lunch program under the direction of the director of operations, working Monday-Friday from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM daily when school is in session and may work during special school events and at the end of August each year to prepare for the school year. The person will perform administrative tasks approximately 4 days a week and will help on the serving line 1 day a week. Candidates must possess a BA degree, due to state regulations, and should demonstrate a strong work ethic, initiative, people skills, organization, a commitment to Christian education and following Christ, and a love for serving others. We invite you to join a fantastic team that provides a very important service to our students through the lunch program! To apply, submit the staff application (available at https://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/about/employment.cfm) and a resume to Josh Bowar, head of school, jbowar@siouxcenterchristian.com. A review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Substitute Teachers: We are in need of substitute teachers for this school year. Subs are needed for teachers and paras at all grade levels, kitchen crew and at times a nurse. Please contact Carmen Mulder (cmulder@siouxcenterchristian.com) if you are interested in adding your name to the sub list. SCCS will provide all training, and you even get a free lunch when you sub! Qualifications for being a sub include a love of children, the ability to follow teacher lesson plans, flexibility, and a commitment to Christian education. We invite you to join us!
LOST AND FOUND
OUTLET 75
Head to Outlet 75 for supper tonight (Wed, Nov 3)! Gorditas “El Najas” is serving STREET TACOS from 5-8pm in the O75 parking lot and is AGAIN DONATING ALL PROCEEDS from the night to SCCS!
Open Wednesdays 11am – 8pm and Thursdays 11am – 3pm.
IMPACT OUR TREASURED STUDENTS
You can give a donation that impacts our students while also receiving 75% of your donation back!
How is this possible??
When you make a donation to NICSTO (Northwest Iowa Christian Schools Tuition Organization), you receive an IOWA TAX CREDIT certificate valued at 75% of your donation.
Sioux Center Christian receives 100% of your gift and grants it to students who qualify.
We are over halfway to our goal of $316,242!
Even though donations can officially be received through December 31, we really need most donations to come in by December 1. Why? Some schools within the NICSTO group of sixteen Christian schools have reached their goal and, if it looks like we will not completely reach our goal, some of ours is given to those schools. We love all the Christian schools in NICSTO, but we’d also love to reach our full goal to fully impact the SCCS students who need it. If you need to wait to write a check until after December 1, but know the approximate amount you want to contribute, please connect with Amy Vander Berg (712.441.4530 or avanderberg@siouxcenterchristian.com) by the end of November.
Learn more about this giving opportunity: https://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/support/nicsto.cfm
Forms are available by the TRIP window or at the link above.
GIFTS THAT REDUCE TAXES
Discover popular ways to support Kingdom-building ministry and reduce your taxes!
Barnabas Foundation is hosting a FREE, five-part online training series that will provide you with practical tips for giving in ways that increase your impact while reducing your costs and headaches. Each session is approximately 20-minutes long and recordings will be available; registration is required. Learn more: www.BarnabasFoundation.com/Interactive
The five-part series ends next Wednesday, November 10, but recordings are available at the link above.
FOOD SERVICE NEWS
- Thanks to everyone who signed up to help with dishwashing this year! If you would like to help out you can sign up here. If you have questions, contact Carmen Mulder (cmulder@siouxcenterchristian.com).
- You can find the lunch and dishwashing schedule here.
- If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please contact school 24 hours in advance.
BOGO FLATBREAD PIZZA CARDS
BOGO Flatbread Pizza Cards - During the month of November, Covenant CRC is once again partnering with the Fruited Plain in selling Buy One Get One Flatbread Pizza Cards. $25 gets you 5 free pizzas (a $64.95 value). You can purchase a card at the SCCS office OR at the Fruited Plain. $10 of every sale goes to the Covenant CRC Christian Education fund.
NEW LIFE SCCS LEGACY FUNDRAISER
The New Life Church Legacy Team is selling frozen sugar cookies that are cutout in Christmas shapes (snowman, stars, trees) as a fundraiser. They are sold for $6/dozen. Orders will be ready to pick up at Sioux Center Christian School on November 16 from 3-6pm. You may order through noon on Nov. 16 (but don’t wait until the last minute! :) )
Place orders here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/NewLifeLegacyPlan/_2021FrozenChristmasCutOutCookieDoughOrder or email kreditfamily@outlook.com
REQUESTED ANNOUNCEMENTS
- The Office Handouts http://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/parents/officehandouts.cfm is the place to check regularly for camp information, registration forms, and more! Currently there is information for:
Arena Basketball Skills Camp for grades 5-6
Lone Wolf Wrestling Club
Unity Christian Dance Team Kids Camp for grades K-5
Unity Junior Knights Girls B-ball - Grades 5-8
Unity Junior Knights Boys B-ball - Grades 3-8
Chess Club at Sioux Center Public Library - Grades 2 and up
- Staff Member of the Month: Nominate your favorite SCCS faculty or staff member who goes above and beyond for the Pella Staff award! Nomination forms can be found here or are available by the TRIP window. Each month a winner is chosen and receives a $500 gift card from Sioux Center Pella Corp, which can be used to impact learning! Nominations are due by the 25th of each month and can be returned to our school office or mailed/dropped off at Pella Corp.
- Explore Western is Tuesday, November 16 from 7-8pm. Hear “staff stories” about student services, fine arts programs, student activities, a refreshed vision of the Bible curriculum, and most importantly all the ways that your faith will be developed and strengthened here at Western. At Western we believe that everything we do is an act of worshipping God, and we invite you into this story! Check out our new mission statement that clearly articulates “who we are” and “what we do” and our celebration video which highlights all the blessings that Western is “giving thanks” and “celebrating.” This night is targeted for families with children in grades 3-8 but anyone interested in Western is welcome. Hope to see you there!
- Unity Christian Middle School Open House: All middle school students (6th-8th grade) and their parents are invited to Unity Christian's Middle School Open House, November 18, 2021, 7:00-8:30 pm to learn more about Unity and get a head start on high school. We will meet in the Knight Center from 7:00-7:30 and then break out into sectionals.
SCCS
The mission of Sioux Center Christian School is to disciple God’s children by equipping them with a knowledge and understanding of Christ and His creation so that they can obediently serve God and others as they work and play.
Every Student TREASURED, Every Student TRAINED, Every Student TRANSFORMED
Email: sccsoffice@siouxcenterchristian.com
Website: siouxcenterchristian.com
Location: 630 1st Ave. SE, Sioux Center, IA
Phone: 712-722-0777
Facebook: facebook.com/siouxcenterchristian
Twitter: @sccstrailblazer